Where Invitations are Issued
Padme took a deep breath in the air cab as it parked outside the Jedi Temple. She knew, given how Anakin always seemed to read her like a book, that Jedi could pick up on people's thoughts and feelings. So she focused intently on the primary reason why she was here and the sincerity behind it, rather than the secondary and selfish reason. Gathering herself, she stepped out of the cab, paid her fare and headed in to the public entrance of the Temple.
Inside she was hardly surprised to see several HoloNet reporters. After all, it had been announced earlier that week that Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Negotiator and member of The Team was still alive and recuperating. It was all anyone seemed to want to talk about once the news broke. And while the Temple had said no more beyond the announcement, reporters were clamoring.
In front of the gathering reporters, the Gatemaster Jurokk stood quietly, not allowing them entrance, flanked by a pair of Senior Padawans. Not liking the looks of her chances of actually getting in without revealing who she was, Padme stood off to the side, observing. Yes, if she had simply announced that she was Senator Amidala, Jurokk would have no problems with letting her in, but that would also mean that the reporters would know to. What she came here to do was private, something she didn't want to broadcast across the whole galaxy.
So she waited. She debated briefly on calling Anakin to come down and escort her, but the Hero With No Fear would stir up the reporters just as much as she would. And who knew what the reporters might make into rumor seeing her and Anakin together.
Jurokk looked up, away from the reporters, drawing everyone's eyes to an incoming airbus. Once Padme saw it, she couldn't help but smile. When the bus was parked, elementary school children started energetically coming out, screaming in joy and excitement as teachers and volunteering parents gathered them into groups and organizing them.
"You will excuse me," Jurokk stated calmly, bowing to the reporters and making his way over to the children. Kneeling down so that he was at their height, he gave a bright, gentle smile. "Welcome to the Jedi Temple," he greeted them as the children started to gather.
"Wow!" a child exclaimed, tugging at a teacher's sleeve. "Look! Look! A real live Jedi!"
"Greetings. I am Gatemaster Jurokk." His eyes twinkled mischievously as Padme made her way to the teachers and students. "Now, I understand that you are here for a tour?"
The children agreed loudly.
"Excellent!" Jurokk grinned. With an exaggerated look left and right, he leaned forward as if imbuing a great secret. "Could I have all of your help?" he asked conspiratorially.
"Of course!"
"Yes!"
"What do we do?"
"Well," Jurokk glanced at the reporters who were still hovering, "it seems I am currently under siege."
"No way!" a child cried out.
Jurokk nodded. "Yes. Those mean reporters are preventing me from doing my job. And since my job is to let you into the Temple, I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a bind."
Padme glanced at the teachers and parents who were smiling as Jurokk masterfully planned an attack with the children to shoo away the reporters, at least for a little while. A quick glance up at the adults for permission and Jurokk and his little "initiates" were advancing on the reporters, bewildering them as the children cried, screamed and begged the reporters to leave so that Master Jurokk could do his job.
The reporters seemed undaunted for a while, until they started one by one, to go back to their camera camps and speaking to superiors. Padme wasn't sure what had caused it until, out of the corner of her eye, she spied one of the Senior Padawans making a gesture. She couldn't help the small giggle. Anakin often said that the Jedi Mind Trick was extremely useful when dealing with annoyances.
Once the last reporter was back with their crew, discussing unimportant things, Jurokk smiled at the children, kneeling to their level again.
"Wonderful! Just wonderful!" he praised. The children all squealed with delight. "Now, there is one more thing I need your help with."
"Anything!" the children chorused.
"You were all very loud and deliberately misbehaved to help me push the reporters off for a while. Now, you need to do the opposite." His smile softened, becoming more serious. "A Jedi is able to relax here at the Temple. And we Jedi who are home at the moment need a great deal of rest. So while in the Temple, instead of your worst behavior, I need your best. Can you do that for me?"
The children nodded enthusiastically.
"Thank you," he bowed to them. "Now these Padawans will help in getting you all set to enter the Temple. We have a scavenger hunt and a few puzzles as you make your way through. The Jedi guiding you will be down shortly."
The children were all chattering excitedly in quite whispers as they tiptoed up to the Padawans, already trying out their "best behavior".
Padme made her way over to Jurokk after he'd comm'd the tour guide that their students were there.
"Ah," Jurokk greeted, "Milady. I was not aware of a meeting for you today."
She shook her head. "There is no formal meeting," she replied, gesturing to her basket. "But I have some friends that I think could use some tender care."
Jurokk blinked. "Ah, the two saved your planet all those years ago?"
Padme grinned. "I was hoping to surprise them."
"They will be surprised. But I will comm for Padawan Skywalker to come escort you. Go ahead inside, he'll be along shortly."
She gave her thanks, following the elementary students in past the doors as the reporters behind her started to gather in front of Jurokk again. Wishing to remain unobtrusive, she stayed by a massive pillar along the elegant airy entryway. An owl-like Rishii Jedi came for the children and let them gently pet his feathers and ask questions about his species before taking them on their tour.
The Jedi Temple was always a place of wonder for Padme. The halls and architecture were grand, elegant, and in any other place in the galaxy, it would leave a person feeling very small and insignificant with the sheer imposing size. But the Temple felt light and airy. The size didn't make one feel small and insignificant, but humble, a subtle but powerful difference. Humility, after all, was one of the Jedi's core beliefs. But being humbled in the Temple didn't lead one to feeling unworthy, just at peace. Because once humbled, on realized that one's problems were also smaller and more insignificant, which brought great tranquility.
Padme wasn't sure how much of that feeling of tranquility had to due with architecture and design and how much had to do with the hundreds of thousands of Jedi that had graced the Temple with their presence over the millennia.
She was brought out of her musings by a gentle arm wrapping around her shoulders.
"Hey, Padme," Anakin smiled brightly as he swept her into a hug.
Padme squeezed back, communicating how much she had missed him, even though his last visit had been the previous week.
Pulling apart, Anakin offered his arm, ever the gentleman in public, which she graciously took.
"So, I understand you're here to see me and my Master, Senator Amidala."
"Yes," she replied. "I have a surprise for the two of you."
Anakin glanced down at the basket. "I thought any surprise for me would be a little... different," he replied, wiggling an eyebrow suggestively.
She giggled, letting his presence sooth the part of her that always worried whenever he wasn't around, and leaned her head against his shoulder briefly. "How has Obi-Wan been since we last talked?"
Her husband sighed. "About the same. Most of the physical damage has healed, minus some of the damage in his muscles. But he's still struggling with... other things."
Meaning the Force. Anakin had tried to explain it once, but all Padme could understand was that Obi-Wan's difficulty had something to do with fear of either himself or the Force. She always felt bad that she couldn't understand the Force. Apparently it was something that had to be felt to truly be able to explain certain things, despite Anakin's best efforts. She just didn't have that basis to work off of.
They made small talk through the halls of the Temple, looking every bit like old friends catching up. Padme was quite glad she was able to get her husband to laugh at Jar Jar's latest clumsy antics, as he no doubt needed something to laugh at.
They arrived at the apartment and inside Obi-Wan and Master Yoda were both seated, eyes closed, apparently in meditation. Anakin scowled briefly before guiding her to the small kitchen and putting on a kettle.
"Master Yoda says I need to stop helping Obi-Wan in meditation, that he's strong enough to start following Master Yoda on his own." And with the dark undertone of his voice, there was no denying what Anakin thought of that suggestion.
Padme gave a soft chuckle. "He's probably right," she said gently. "Like with physical therapy, you need help to get started and then you need to start doing it on your own."
"I know, it's just..." Anakin trailed off, looking away.
She hugged his arm. "It feels good to be needed," she said. "And Obi-Wan, who is always so strong, has needed you. Now that he's doing things on his own, you're feeling left out."
Her husband let out a long sigh and nodded. "You know me so well, angel."
"Naturally," she replied, rising to her toes to kiss him sweetly on the cheek.
Anakin smiled and poured tea for everyone and caf for himself. He brought the tray to the small table in front of the couch. "Sorry, Padme, but I need to let them know you're here."
"That's perfectly alright," she said. "I know how important meditation is for you Jedi." Anakin gave a small smile before closing his eyes as his face smoothed out. As he sank into the depths of the Force, Padme set down her basket and knelt on the floor with everyone. It felt strange for her to sit on the couch while everyone else was on the floor, and once she was comfortable, she took a moment to really study Obi-Wan.
Anakin had said that his condition had been serious and not much more than that. What had happened to Obi-Wan, she didn't even want to imagine. Her husband would not speak of it. No, it wasn't that he wouldn't, it was that he couldn't. Much as Obi-Wan was still dealing with what had happened to him, so was his Padawan. Anakin had already seen some of the worst in the galaxy, both on missions under Obi-Wan and as a slave on Tatooine. But torture was the some of the worst that anyone could offer. And Obi-Wan had gone through it.
One wouldn't know it looking at him. Granted, a Jedi's clothes covered much of the body, but Obi-Wan didn't seem to bear any scars or lingering bruises. No doubt thanks to the wonders of bacta. But there was no denying that he looked sickly. Though his hair was neatly cut and brushed and his beard was as clean clipped as ever, the hair was limp and bore an unhealthy sheen. There were dark circles under his eyes, indicating that sleep was no doubt difficult after everything he'd been through, and his face looked far too thin. Anakin had mentioned that Obi-Wan had needed to be weaned onto food due to how long he'd been without it, and he still bore traces of the starvation. Beyond that, the Jedi Master that always had perfect posture and a quiet grace was slumped in his meditation.
Seeing the strong Obi-Wan, whom she still remembered as the steady Padawan that aided Master Jinn in rescuing her from the Trade Federation, broken down to this brought tears to her eyes.
Anakin had said that it was bad. Seeing how he was now, after just over a month of healing, she could only imagine the terrifying state that her husband had found him in.
Padme took a deep breath, wiped away the tears from her eyes, and took strength in the fact that Obi-Wan was on the mend. Anakin and his large heart would make sure that he was fine, and she would do her part as well.
She blinked when three sets of eyes opened at once.
"Hello," Obi-Wan greeted, some of his slump disappearing as he straightened himself.
"Greetings," Yoda nodded.
"We're honored to have you here," Anakin smiled.
"I'm sorry to have interrupted you," Padme greeted.
"It's perfectly alright," Obi-Wan replied. "A friendly face is always a pleasant surprise. Shall we have a proper seat?"
Padme stood smoothly and tried not to stare as Anakin helped his master up and to the couch.
"Unexpected, this is," Yoda smiled, already reaching for the tea Anakin had prepared, "but most welcome."
Padme smiled. "When I heard that Master Kenobi was alive, I knew I had to drop by."
"I hear you've been busy in the Senate," Obi-Wan replied.
She waved it away. "I'm not here to discuss politics or the war. I'm here because you are my friend." She pulled the basket from the floor to the small table. "I have a gift."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly-" Anakin knuckled Obi-Wan in the ribs. "Er, I thank you very much. You needn't have gone through the bother."
Yoda chuckled quietly.
"Believe me, it was no trouble."
Obi-Wan reached over, pulling the basket closer to himself. Pulling off the cover filled the room with the smell of freshly baked bread.
There was quiet confusion, which Padme half expected. Pulling the basket closer, she pulled out a knife and cut the bread into thick slices, spread a sweet Naboo jam she enjoyed over each slice, and offered one to everyone.
"Consider yourself and Padawan Skywalker invited," she said primly.
"Invited?" Obi-Wan asked, still looking at his slice of bread. "To what?"
Padme gave a soft smile. "Whenever you are on Coruscant, you and your Padawan are invited to dinner at my apartment. I think once a week while you're on planet should work out quite well."
"Senator, I-"
Padme turned to Yoda. "You're welcome to come as well. I know that the Temple is home and offers peace and tranquility, but even here you speak of strategies and war. I offer my apartment as a safe haven where you don't need to speak of such things." She turned back to her husband and Obi-Wan. "Shall I expect you, say, three days from now?"
Yoda let out a laugh, leaning back with a large smile as Obi-Wan still looked dumbfounded and Anakin looked caught between laughing and gratitude.
"A good friend of the Jedi, you are," Yoda smiled, his wrinkles folding over themselves. "Yes. A good friend, hmmm." The old master took a bite of his slice of bread and nodded to himself. "Decline, I must, for many duties a Council member has. Away I shall be, as of tomorrow." Taking another bite, Yoda easily slid off the chair he was in. "Come again later, I will," he said to Obi-Wan. "Work more, we shall."
"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan bowed his head, as did Anakin.
With Yoda gone, Anakin shifted his seat and Padme eagerly leaned into his side, grateful that they had nothing to hide with Obi-Wan in the room.
"Sometimes," Anakin said, sipping his caf, "I think I don't deserve you. You're so kind."
Padme playfully swatted at her husband. "Don't go putting me on a pedestal," she said.
Obi-Wan chuckled, then sipped his tea. "I thank you, Padme. As much as the Temple is home, I think going out just for the sake of a good time instead of another mission would be a good thing indeed."
"It's why I invited you." She shyly looked away. "And I admit, it's a chance to see Anakin without secrecy."
Her husband squeezed her shoulders. "Sorry about this. I know you don't like secrets."
"I understand it. And once this war is over, I think we can start telling people."
"I still believe a member of the Council should know," Obi-Wan said, "but I understand your reasons and it really isn't my place to say."
Anakin shifted the topic of conversation. "So, Padme, how much time do you have?" he asked with a certain look on his face.
"Ah, shall I be going then?" Obi-Wan added delicately.
Padme laughed. "I knew that men tended to have minds in the gutter, but I didn't expect that of you, Obi-Wan!"
The elder Jedi blushed as Anakin laughed uproariously. "Master! The look on your face!"
Padme elbowed her husband. "Now, now, Ani, don't go teasing your master when he's having his tea."
"Yes, angel," he chuckled.
Obi-Wan said nothing, merely taking another sip of his tea.
"Now as to your question," Padme said, glancing at her chrono, "I don't have as much time as I like. I have a meeting with Bail Organa in an hour. Of course I will be seeing you for dinner in three days." There was no denying the underlying You'll be there or I'll come after you.
Anakin stood. "Shall we walk you out then, milady?" he said, offering an arm.
"That would be very nice," she replied, standing and taking it.
Obi-Wan stood as well. "It's about time for my walk anyway."
The smile slid off of Padme's face. A walk. No doubt to help build strength back up because he was so very thin. A reminder of the horrible time he'd endured, no matter how casual the reference was. Anakin squeezed her arm and she put her smile back on. She rather hoped they ran into the elementary children on their way back down. Perhaps that would help with Obi-Wan's somber appearance.
They made their way out of the apartment, heading back down to the public entrance to the Temple. They made small talk, greeting other Jedi as they passed. Many looked with great sympathy at Obi-Wan, and her husband and his master ignored it.
"Anakin?" Obi-Wan suddenly turned to the pair. "What are you planning?"
"Who, me, Master?"
"Yes, you, my sneaky Padawan. You're up to something. I can feel it."
Padme blinked, wondering what was going on that she was missing.
Anakin mumbled some curses. "I thought I was blocking better than that," he mumbled. "It's nothing, Master. Everything's fine."
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and tilted his head, a hand coming up to his beard. "You're going to spring something when we get to the public entrance."
There was no doubt. Padme looked between them. They normally didn't speak of their bond in front of her, knowing that she didn't always understand it.
Her husband shrugged. "Padme gave me the idea."
"I did?" she asked. "Idea for what?"
Anakin just grinned. "I guess we'll all have to see when we get there."
Obi-Wan let out a half-groan, half-sigh. "Anakin..." He sighed again. "Come, milady. Let's get it over with."
"You make it sound like what I'm planning is a bad thing," Anakin scowled lightly.
"It usually turns out that way," Obi-Wan replied with a grin. "Remember the stove?"
"Master, I was trying to-"
"No matter the good intentions, it did blow up."
Padme let out a surprised gasp, before falling into giggles. Turning to her husband, she put on her best straight face and said, "I'll be sure to never let you near the stove."
He pouted.
Obi-Wan chuckled, and Padme was glad to hear that he still could after everything that he had gone through. That meant that he was healing.
They continued through the humbling halls, Obi-Wan more weary, until Anakin took a sharp turn in a different direction.
"And where, my plotting Padawan, are you taking us?" Obi-Wan rubbed his beard.
"You'll see."
Padme stiffened, suddenly wondering if this had anything to do with the elementary children she'd seen when she'd arrived. She glanced up at her husband, catching his eye as he looked down to her, and then he winked with the barest of nods.
Smiling, Padme cast a glance at Obi-Wan. This would indeed be interesting.
Naturally, it was the children who spotted them first.
"Look! Look! It's Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker!" one of the girls shrieked, which turned all heads and suddenly a small stampede of younglings was heading right for them. Padme stepped aside as the children cheered and excitedly started asking questions of the two that the media was starting to call The Team.
The chaperones and the Rishii came over, trying to contain the children, but with little luck.
"Is it true? Is it true? That you were really dead?"
"Did you have to fight through Grievous and Dooku to rescue Master Kenobi?"
"Where were you when everyone thought you were dead?"
"Did you know all along that Master Kenobi was alive?"
"Did you get the bad guys that hurt you?"
"What's the Force?"
"Can you show me your lightsaber?"
"Do you know the answer to this riddle? I'm stumped!"
And the onslaught of questions continued. Finally, Obi-Wan tilted his head back and laughed. Oddly enough, this was enough to silence the children. With a grin, he gestured and they followed him away from the main thoroughfare of the hallway and he sat on the floor, leaning back to the wall. Anakin sat beside him, a wide grin on his face.
The younglings needed no cue and all sat around him in a circle.
"Now," he said, eyes sparkling. "All these questions cannot be answered at once. Indeed, some of them can't be answered at all."
"But," Anakin continued, "we can tell you a story. One with adventure. One with family."
Padme knelt down with the children along with the other chaperones.
"Now," Obi-Wan lowered his voice, "the tale of which we speak is from over a thousand years ago..."
And for the next half hour, Padme couldn't stop smiling as Obi-Wan and Anakin became storytellers of the finest order. They kept the younglings completely enthralled and wherever Anakin paused or Obi-Wan stopped, the other picked up seamlessly. The children, who had started off pelting the two with questions about the story were soon silent in awe as the tale unfolded before them. Obi-Wan would occasionally make sound-effects and Anakin could put on the best voices for the characters. The story, though brief, was epic and masterfully told.
By the end, the younglings were cheering along with the heroine of the tale, animatedly starting to whisper and chatter about the plot and what they would have done and so on and so forth.
Anakin stood, helping his master off the floor, but the children didn't notice as they continued to discuss.
The Rishii Jedi gave a hoot and the children quieted, turning to him. "Now, what should you say to Master Kenobi and Padawan Skywalker?"
All the younglings turned and bowed, chorusing "Thank you!" A young Whipid ran forward and wrapped himself around Obi-Wan's leg. Not to be outdone, a small Bothan ran forward to hug Anakin's leg. There was a brief cry of indignation and two Human younglings grabbed the free legs available. Thus started a small tidal wave of younglings running forward to hug The Team. Both strong Jedi were soon overcome as the elementary children clambered over themselves to get a hug.
Padme couldn't help but laugh as her husband and his master were buried under younglings. Looking at Anakin as he played with them, gently setting them down with the Force and smiling at each one, she couldn't help but look to a future were the two of them would have children of their own one day. He would be an excellent father; she had no doubt of that. And Obi-Wan would be a beloved uncle, as he was just as good with the younglings as her husband was.
The Rishii Jedi gave another hoot, getting the younglings attention. With a few flaps of his wings, the Rishii was in the air. "Now, younglings, let's see which of you can keep up with a Jedi, yes? I'll meet you at the next monument!"
The children screamed with delight and took off the owl-like Jedi who flew down the hall, pausing at a corner before taking off again, the children laughing and racing to keep up.
The parents and teachers gave brief apologies to Obi-Wan and Anakin before taking off after their charges.
"Well, that was a pleasant diversion," Anakin said, running a hand through his hair.
"Indeed it was," replied Obi-Wan quietly, a grin on his face and a twinkle in his eye. "'Hugs can save the galaxy,' indeed."
Anakin glanced at Padme, and winked. Smiling, she winked back. It was nice to see some of that old spark of Obi-Wan back. Granted, Padme couldn't imagine what Obi-Wan had been like a month ago when her husband found him, but seeing him able to smile and laugh with younglings was very heartening. And not only was that good for Obi-Wan, it was good for Anakin as well, because Anakin had been almost sick with grief and then worry.
Really, it was amazing how much the two depended on each other and needed each other. Especially since the Clone Wars had started. There were times she wondered if it was a side-effect of the Force, but other Master-Padawan teams she'd seen didn't seem to rely on the other quite so much. Perhaps it was just because Anakin took strength in the people around him, rather than just himself, contrary to the air he had around him.
Either way, Anakin was a precious being, one she was glad to be able to call her husband.
"Milady?" Anakin offered his arm again.
"Thank you," she replied, squeezing his arm.
"Let's see you off," Obi-Wan came to her other side and they walked together.
"Of course. I expect to see you for dinner this week and every time you're on-planet during this horrible war."
"Who are we to deny you, Senator?" Anakin glanced around, leaned forward, and kissed her cheek. "You'll be seeing us."
Padme nodded. "Padawan Skywalker, make sure you send me a list of Obi-Wan's favorite dishes so that I can have a good Welcome Home feast for him."
Obi-Wan shook his head. "You really needn't go through the bother..."
"I shall send it to you once we're back at our quarters."
"Oh, come now, I'm not worth so much effo-"
"Excellent. If there are any restrictions from the healer's could you attach that as well?"
"Not a problem."
"Neither of you are listening to me."
"Great. Now, what types of holovids does Master Kenobi like?"
"Boring ones, naturally."
"Anakin, I-"
"I'll be sure to pick up a variety then."
"You are too kind, angel."
Obi-Wan sighed.
Author's Notes: No, there's nothing in the Expanded Universe about the Temple giving tours, but, like any other massive historical structure, we'd imagine that they must. And, like Buckingham Palace or the White House, only certain areas are shown. We'd imagine that most Jedi don't run across tour groups all that much as they go about their daily lives. That would be disruptive. Similarly, as a member of the Senate, we'd imagine that Padme has occasionally been at the Temple for meetings, though meetings with Jedi were probably more likely to happen at the Senate Building.
Also, the story Obi-Wan and Anakin tell is completely made up. After a brief search on wookiepedia for a good story of ancient Jedi to tell, it was too vast a pool to jump into. Alas. Thus the two are completely making it up as they go, using the bond in a new and inventive way to share plot-points and such.
Next week: A return to battle. Things will naturally BOOM!